Bighorn Angler

Lodging Details
The Bighorn Angler offers a wide array of lodging options consisting of lodge rooms, cabins, and even custom homes to accommodate angling groups of any size.

Lodge Rooms
Connected to the fly shop, the Lodge Rooms offer anglers the best mix of quality, convenience, and price in Fort Smith. Rooms come with either two or three beds and are equipped with air conditioning, satellite television, and wireless internet.

Bighorn Angler Cabins
Adjacent to the fly shop, each of the two cabins has two bedrooms, one full bath, a full kitchen, and a sitting area, along with a covered front porch. They also include air conditioning, satellite television, wireless internet, and a gas grill. 

Riverbend Cabins
Two identical cabins are located on the bluff about one mile from the fly shop. Surrounded by over 40 acres of private land and a quarter-mile of river frontage, each cabin is 2,000 square feet with three bedrooms and two full bathrooms. There are six beds in each cabin, and each cabin is outfitted with a furnace, fireplace, and air conditioning. The kitchen has all stainless steel appliances, concrete countertops, a wine rack, herbs, and spices for cooking, pots, pans, dishes, and silverware. The living area has extremely comfortable leather furniture, reading lamps, a fireplace, and 50-inch plasma television with surround sound, a DVD player, and satellite television. Each cabin also has a gas grill and wireless internet access.

Riverview Lodge
You will not find a nicer property to rent on the Bighorn. Consisting of four bedrooms and two and a half baths, this property accommodates groups of eight anglers with ease. In addition to these four bedrooms, you will find a full kitchen, large family room with fireplace, laundry room, and a covered wrap-around deck with the finest views of the river. A gas grill, wireless internet, satellite television, bedding, and towels are also provided.

Food and Beverages
Meals are served in their dining hall which is located behind the fly shop. The breakfasts are hearty and dinner is prepared by their in-house chefs from scratch each night. Each meal consists of a salad, entree, and dessert. The menu is set nightly ahead of time. Fort Smith is located in the Crow Indian Reservation, where the sale of alcoholic beverages is prohibited. Alcoholic beverages must be purchased in Hardin or Billings prior to your arrival.

Non-Angling Activities and Options
This is primarily a fishing-focused destination. However, there are a few sights that non-anglers and anglers will find fascinating. The Little Bighorn Battlefield is located 45 minutes away. You can take a tour of the battlefield where Custer’s famous “Last Stand” and defeat to Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse occurred. There is also a historic museum on-site as well. Bighorn Lake is a short 10-mile drive from the shop. It is a popular area for boating, fishing, and wildlife watching.

Internet / Communications
Internet access is available at the Bighorn Angler. Cell coverage in the Fort Smith area can be spotty. Be sure to check with your service provider prior to your trip regarding specific coverage in the area.

How To Get There
The closest commercial airport is Billings (BIL) which is about 2 hours away. 

Arrival and Departure Details / Times
Upon arrival into Billings, visiting anglers will need to rent a car to get to and from Fort Smith. Rental cars are available at the Billings Airport.

Documents Required
Montana fishing licenses are available at all area fly shops and sporting goods stores, or online by visiting the following website: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. You will need a valid driver’s license or other photo ID in order to purchase your fishing license.

Travel Arrangements
Yellow Dog provides airline reservations ad ticketing assistance through etcTravel Group, and a full-service airline logistics agent that can help book airline tickets, hotels, rental cars, and more. You can click here to request a quote or contact Yellow Dog for more information at 406-585-8667. etcTravel Group offers dedicated support services for all Yellow Dog clients. Service fees may apply when booking or researching tickets, and etcTravel will discuss this with you before sending quotes. 

Travel Tools
– Airline Ticketing
– Moon Phases
– Rent This Rod
– Trip Insurance and Emergency Evacuation
– Global Rescue Membership

General Information
The Bighorn River is a classic tailwater river, emerging from the depths of Bighorn Lake in Eastern Montana. The Yellowtail Dam has created a fertile river, displaying unique spring creek characteristics that allow rainbow and brown trout to thrive almost year-round. There is somewhere around 5,000 fish per mile in the Bighorn, with the highest population counts near the Afterbay Dam. Trout in the river average around 15 inches, with many fish pushing the 20-inch range.  Bighorn river trout fight as hard as any on the planet, due to highly consistent water temperatures year-round.

Below Afterbay Dam, the fishing remains productive for about 30 river miles. From here, the Bighorn is broken into three distinct sections: Afterbay to 3 Mile, 3 Mile to Bighorn Access, and Bighorn Access to Mallard’s Landing. Each section contains variances in water temperature, fish per mile, aquatic life, hatches, and fish behavior. These characteristics create unique fishing conditions in which the angler may experience a wide array of terrific fishing throughout the year. Throughout the river’s length, rainbows and brown trout thrive on a steady diet of sowbugs, scuds, worms, and midges year-round which accounts for the large average size of the fish in the river.

Boats and Equipment 
Float fishing on the Bighorn River is accomplished with comfortable, Western-style drift boats. Remember that rods, reels, flies, tackle, waders, and boots are all included in your package if you do not have or bring your own. The Bighorn Angler also carries all the necessary equipment for purchase if you’d like. 

Package Rates
Remember that Yellow Dog’s services are completely free! When you book a trip with Yellow Dog, you never pay more than when you book directly with the lodge.

2024 Pricing (based on double occupancy)
Lodge Room
3 nights / 2 days = $1,045.00 per person
4 nights / 3 days = $1,495.00 per person
5 nights / 4 days = $1,925.00 per person

Deluxe Lodge Room
3 nights / 2 days = $1,125.00 per person
4 nights / 3 days = $1,645.00 per person
5 nights / 4 days = $2,095.00 per person

Bighorn Angler Cabin
3 nights / 2 days = $1,195.00 per person
4 nights / 3 days = $1,695.00 per person
5 nights / 4 days = $2,195.00 per person

Pricing for larger cabins based on group size is also available upon request. 

Included

• Lodging
• Guided fishing
• All meals (cooler lunch, waters, sodas, etc on guide trips)
• All flies & terminal tackle provided by the guide
• Rods/reels and waders/boots (if needed)
• Transportation to and from the river on guided trip days
• Shuttle fees for guide’s vehicle
  
  

Excluded

• Airfare (fly into Billings)
• Transportation to/from the lodge (rent a car)
• Fishing licenses (available at the fly shop)
• All alcoholic beverages (BYO)
• Gratuities for guides and lodge staff
• Lodging taxes
  
  

Bighorn Angler (Ft. Smith, Montana)
TERMS AND CONDITIONS – CANCELLATIONS
A deposit of 50% per person is due at the time of booking for all trip packages and reservations, and final payment if due 90
days prior to arrival. All trip cancellations must be received in writing, sent to Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures, LLC. For all cancellations outside of 30 days of scheduled arrival at the lodge, a full refund or a trip credit (minus a 10% per person lodge cancellation fee and a $100.00 per person Yellow Dog cancellation fee) will be issued. For cancellations inside of 30 days, deposits and final payments will be forfeited, and no refund or credit will be issued. If a cancelled package is resold by either the lodge/operator or by Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures, then a full refund will be sent minus a $100.00 per person Yellow Dog cancellation fee. In the case of cancellation by the client, both deposit and final payment may be transferred to another guest or angler for those same (original) dates if facilitated and arranged by the client. Receipt of deposit and/or final payment is acknowledgment that registrant has read and accepts the deposit, cancellation, refund and responsibility clauses for these packages. Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures strongly recommends that anglers and guests purchase travel insurance for this trip.

Payment Terms for All Yellow Dog Trip Bookings  
Unless otherwise noted on your invoice, for all trips less than 90 days out, full payment is required after receipt of the confirmation email to secure guides and reservations. For trips outside of 90 days, a 50% deposit is required upon receipt of confirmation email to confirm your reservations.   

Yellow Dog accepts on-line payments via a secure payment portal – a quick and easy way to complete your trip reservation. Please reach out to accounting@yellowdogflyfishing.com to gain access. 

Yellow Dog Flyfishing Standard Forms of Payment 

• Debit card (fee-free) and credit card (3% convenience fee) - to pay via card please utilize the customer payment portal. If you need assistance, reach out to 406-585-8667 ext. #3 
• Wires - please include name and/or invoice number for reference on your wire. Please reach out to accounting@yellowdogflyfishing.com for wiring instructions. (client is responsible for wiring fees) 
• Physical check - please include your invoice number in the memo. Mail checks to 213 S. Willson Ave. Bozeman, MT, 59715

If you have any questions about alternate payment methods, please contact Yellow Dog at (406) 585-8667 ext. #3. We are available Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM MT.